Method and apparatus for forcing piles into or out of the ground

ABSTRACT

An apparatus, connectable to a driving machine with an articulated boom system, which is operated by percussion energy and drives into or draws up from the ground piles or walls and grasps with its gripping jaws objects ( 17 ) on the ground or objects that are to be driven into the ground characterized in that the apparatus comprises a turning equipment system that transmits percussion energy to the object in order to grip with its jaws ( 16 ) the object both with a firm hold of the jaws in the blow direction and an essentially vertical grip of the jaws and that the apparatus transmits the percussion force to the object in line with its travel direction when both grips with the jaws are used.

The invention relates to an apparatus, connectable to a driving machineor a crane with an articulated boom system, which generates impactenergy, and a method to drive into or draw up from the ground piles orsimilar objects.

Previously known are percussive pile drivers, connectable to cranes anddriving machine, which generate the percussion and transmit it to thepile end. Especially, on driving special piles, such as wallconstructions and, particularly, if they are also drawn up from theground, the apparatus must be furnished with firm gripping jaws in orderto grab the pile end and draw up the piles. Likewise, the gripping jawsare useful for lifting the piles into their place. Further, the rotativefunction of jaws in pile drivers are also known, by means of which plateformed profiles can be turned with the apparatus to a wanted positionbefore starting to drive them into the ground. Also known is the turningof a vertical pile driver to horizontal position in order to grab ahorizontal pile with the gripping jaws and lift it up to verticalposition.

The disadvantage of the above presented drivers is the fact that theyonly can grip the pile end and transmit the percussions this way to thepile. Especially, when the apparatus is connected to a machine, e.g. anexcavator, fitted with a boom system, very long piles cannot be handled,because the upward reach of the boom system sets limits on the pile thatis being handled. The known solutions allow, indeed, gripping the pilefrom the side, but they do not allow driving with this grip, because thepile driver and the jaws in the known constructions are of one and thesame element and therefore the percussions would drive the pilecrosswise and not in the pile direction.

According to the solution of this invention these disadvantages areavoided and the invention is characterized in what is presented in thepatent claims.

It can be considered the most important advantage of this invention thatwith the apparatus quite long piles or wall profiles can be driven intoor drawn up from the ground without any limitations by the upward reachof the excavator. Further, the side grip allows also driving piles, theupper end of which is by construction or for some other reason of suchkind that the percussion cannot be transmitted over it to the pile.After a short predriving and using two gripping elements arranged at adistance from each other, the driver and a part of the excavator boomsystem can be utilized for control of the object that is to be driveninto the ground. Thereby, one or several excavator cylinders are shiftedinto a “floating” state by opening the valve system, where the pressurefluids on different sides of the piston can freely or almost freely flowinto the cylinder or out from there. Thereby, the excavator operatoravoids the difficult control of the pile driver with the boom system.The pile that is being handled can then by itself sustain its course andthereby no faulty motions or directions are transmitted to the driver.

In the following the invention is more closely defined with reference tothe drawings, where

FIG. 1 is the pile driver connected to an excavator

FIG. 2 is a side-view of the pile driver,

FIG. 3 is the pile driver viewed from the other side,

FIG. 4 is a side-view of the pile driver in turned position.

FIG. 5 is the gripping jaws.

FIG. 6 is a side-view of the driver connected to an excavator andequipped with a turning device.

FIG. 7 is a side-view of the driver fastened to the pile end and acylinder valve system.

FIG. 8 shows a driver in an excavator boom and a cylinder functioning asan activator for the boom.

FIG. 1 shows the pile driver connected to an excavator 1 and fixed tothe scoop fastener 4. Thereby the excavator scoop cylinder 5 allowsturning the driver to the pile directions. With these movemements thegripping jaw 3 in the driver can be placed in proper position to griphorizontal piles or walls. Thereby the driver can grip and lift up orlet down piles or similar objects. The driver has an archlike fasteningframe 2.

FIG. 2 shows the driver from the side. There are lugs 18 in thefastening frame 2. Frame 2 is isolated from the driver with buffingrubbers. Under the driving equipment of the driver there is a rotatoryequipment, i.e. a driving motor 7 and a toothed gear 24 and bearings forrotation. The whole lower part of the driver can be rotated around itsvertical axle, which is shown in the figures, and locked. In the lowerdriver part there is a fixed jaw unit, a jaw 16 and another mobile jaw3. A plate profile 17, which is to be driven into the ground, is pressedin between the jaws. The mobile jaw is articulated by axle 12 and thejaw is driven by cylinder 11. The figure also shows a horizontal axle10, around which the driver lower part can be rotated 90° sideways,which is another advantageous position of operation. The sidewaysturning as well as the vertical driver position are locked by cylinder15, by means of which and controlled by part 14 a locking element, forinstance a pin or a ball, is pushed into the fixed frame part 13, whichhas a locking hole 19. The locking pressure of the locking cylinder 11can be in contact with the pressure in the jaw-pressing cylinder 11. Thesituation shown in the figure is a usual driving state, where thedirection of the driver 7 percussions is either upward or downward.

FIG. 3 shows the same driver viewed from the other side, whereat motor8, which rotates the lower part, and gear drive 23, 24 are more clearlyvisible. The fixed frame 13 of the rotatory equipment, that rotates thelower part, comprises two locking positions 20 and 19 which are in a 90°angle to each other. Jaw 16 has an extension 22, which is used forraising an individual profile 17, as the one in the figure, when liftingit from a pile.

FIG. 4 shows the driver in turned position, whereby profile 17 has beengripped from the side. Jaws 16 must be of such a design (as shown in thefigure) that no changes of the profile can hazard the grip. The driveris brought to a turned position either by the force of gravity or byforce generated by the excavator boom system when the locking of theturning device has first been opened.

In the situation as per the figure the vertical percussions generated bythe driver are transmitted over the driver to the jaws and have afurther vertical impact on profile 17. The length of the profile istherefore not limited by the reaches of the driving machine because theside grip can be shifted further up or down, if necessary. On the otherhand, when working under bridges, the side grip allows operation withfull-length piles, because neither the driver nor any other machineparts will form an extension in the pile. Of course, it is possible tocarry out the turning motions of the turning system by utilizing anyother known method but, in order to keep the construction as simple aspossible, it is advantageous if the apparatus itself does not includeany mechanism to carry out the turning.

FIG. 5 shows jaws 16 which have three grip bits 25 each. The grip bitshave grooves or, correspondingly, brushes that grab profile 17. Thegroove directions in the bits must be cross-wise to the drivingdirection in order to prevent sliding on the profile surface. The bits25 shown in the figure can be turned both vertically and crosswise intheir seatings in the jaws. It is advantageous to arrange square shallowseatings for the bits in the jaws to prevent them from revolving duringpressing. However, the bits must yield outward from the seating, so thatthey can be turned 90° to another position when the grip is changed. Forthe bits ther there is on the back of the jaws a fastening screw and aspring that yields at least so much that the bit can be turned in theseating without opening the screw. Other means of fastening the bitsare, of course, also possible.

When working with the side grip, as shown in FIG. 4, the grip must betaken appr. from the middle of the pile and when the pile is lifted fromthe horizontal, buckling and breaking of profile wall piles is quitepossible. It is then advantageous to use an additional support in thedriver to support the pile at a proper distance from the grip point.

FIG. 6 shows a driver connected to an excavator. The driver is insideframe 2 and driven by a fluid motor. The frame is isolated with buffingrubbers from the driver. Under the driving mechanism there is a drivingmotor 8, a toothed gear 24 and bearings for rotation. The whole lowerpart of the driver is turnable around the vertical axle in the figureand lockable. In the lower part of the driver there are jaws. A profileof plate 17 that is to be driven into the ground, is pressed in betweenthe jaws. The jaws are articulated by an axle 31sposo as to open andclose simultaneously. The jaws are driven by a cylinder, that is notshown. In a situation as per the figure, the profile has been grippedand it still must be turned 90° before starting driving it into theground—that is, the first and second gripping jaws are in a firstposition in which the first and second gripping jaws are orientedvertically away from the movement permitting means or lower part of thedriver and spaced apart horizontally for grasping a horizontallyoriented pile or wall edge.

FIG. 7 shows the same driver in profile-driving position. When there aretwo jaws, the plate that is bent into profile form, sustains firmly itscourse with respect to the jaws during handling and driving—that is, thefirst and second gripping jaws are in a second position in which thefirst and second gripping jaws are oriented horizontally away from themovement permitting means or lower part of the driver and spaced apartvertically for gripping a vertically oriented pile or wall edge. With abroken line a possible third jaw 16′ is shown in the figure by means ofwhich driving can be carried out from the profile end in the last stageof driving. In this case the driver must not be turned due to effectdriving from the profile end, for which work jaws 16 would, naturally,also be suited. A driver with three jaws 16 and 16′ in a position as perFIG. 7 is applicable for driving without a slide-turning possibility,which is not necessarily needed when jaws 16 are always in sideways andvertical grippings and percussions are done with jaws 16′.

FIG. 8 shows a driver in an excavator boom 26 and a cylinder 5functioning as an activator that moves, tilts to a certain extent andturns the boom. From pressure-blocking lines leading to cylinder 5,branch lines 27, 28 have been taken to the valve system, by means ofwhich the pressure fluid on different sides of piston 5 can flow overvalve 30 either to the return pipe line 29 or from one side of thepiston the other side or both ways. Due to the system, with valve 30open, the motions by one or several cylinders must need then not becontrolled by the driver driving mechanism. The system may be done tocomprise even more cylinders.

The invention is not limited only to the presented embodiment butseveral modifications are possible within the frames of the inventionalidea determined in the patent claims. For instance the mutual disposalorder of the driving equipment, rotatory equipment and turning equipmentcan therefore vary in the boom end.

I claim:
 1. Pile driving apparatus comprising: an articulated boomsystem adapted to transmit a percussive driving force to a pile driverattached to said boom; hydraulic means mounted on said boom forcontrolling the position of a pile driver attached to said boom toorient the attached pile driver into a pile driving position; and a piledriver attached to said boom, said pile driver comprising first andsecond spaced apart gripping jaws, means for permitting movement of saidfirst and second jaws between a first position in which the first andsecond gripping jaws are oriented vertically away from said movementpermitting means and spaced apart horizontally for grasping ahorizontally oriented pile or wall edge, and a second position in whichthe first and second gripping jaws are oriented horizontally away fromsaid movement permitting means and spaced apart vertically for grippinga vertically oriented pile or wall edge, means for locking said firstand second gripping jaws in said first position for gripping ahorizontally oriented pile or wall edge at first and second horizontallyspaced apart positions along said pile or wall edge and for locking saidfirst and second gripping jaws in said second position for gripping avertically oriented pile or wall edge at first and second verticallyspaced apart positions along said pile or wall edge for driving avertically oriented pile or wall gripped by said first and second spacedapart gripping jaws; said apparatus further comprising valve means fordisengaging said hydraulic means from control of said position of saidattached pile driver.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising afurther gripping jaw oriented at right angles to said first and secondspaced-apart gripping jaws such that said further gripping jaw isoriented substantially vertically downward when said first and secondjaws are oriented substantially horizontally.
 3. Apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second jaws includes agripping member mounted on at least one gripping face of said at leastone of said first and second jaws, said gripping member having apre-determined gripping orientation, and wherein said apparatus furthercomprises means for mounting said gripping member on said gripping facesuch that the gripping member can be positioned in said pre-determinedgripping orientation when said first and second gripping jaws are insaid first or second position.
 4. A method of driving a pile or wallinto the ground or of drawing a pile or wall out of the ground whichcomprises gripping a pile or wall with pile driving apparatus accordingto claim 1, and applying a percussive force to said pile driver to drivethe gripped pile or wall into the ground or to draw the gripped pile orwall out of the ground.
 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein thepile is driven into the ground and wherein, after the pile is partiallydriven into the ground, said valve means is actuated to disengage saidhydraulic means before the pile is fully driven into the ground.
 6. Piledriving apparatus comprising: an articulated boom system adapted totransmit a percussive driving force to a pile driver attached to saidboom; a hydraulic system mounted on said boom which controls theposition of a pile driver attached to said boom to orient the attachedpile driver into a pile driving position; a pile driver attached to saidboom, said pile driver comprising a main part, first and second spacedapart gripping jaws, and means for permitting movement of said first andsecond jaws between a first position in which the first and secondgripping jaws are oriented vertically away from said movement permittingmeans and spaced apart horizontally for grasping a horizontally orientedpile or wall edge, and a second position in which the first and secondgripping jaws are oriented horizontally away from said movementpermitting means and spaced apart vertically for gripping a verticallyoriented pile or wall edge; and means (a) for moving said first andsecond gripping jaws to and locking said first and second gripping jawsin said first position for gripping a horizontally oriented pile or walledge at first and second horizontally spaced apart positions along saidpile or wall edge and (b) for moving said first and second gripping jawsto and locking said first and second gripping jaws in said secondposition for gripping a vertically oriented pile or wall edge at firstand second vertically spaced apart positions along said pile or walledge for driving a vertically oriented pile or wall gripped by saidfirst and second spaced apart gripping jaws.
 7. Pile driving apparatusaccording to claim 6 wherein each of said first and second grippingjaws, when the pile driver is oriented in the pile driving position,comprises a pair of opposed, horizontally extending jaw members, each ofsaid extending jaw members having a vertically oriented gripping face.8. Pile driving apparatus according to claim 7 wherein a jaw member ofeach of said pairs of said jaw members is movable relative to the otherjaw member of a respective pair of said jaw members, and wherein theapparatus further comprises means for moving each of said movable jawmembers relative to the other jaw member of a respective pair of jawmembers.